The Return
by Nemainofthewater
Summary: post CoE. Jack left Earth 30 years ago. But what happens when he returns? And who is driving around in a familiar SUV?
1. Chapter 1

**Author** : Nemainofthewater

**Title** : The Return

**Disclaimer** : I don't own anything you recognise.

**Warning**: Spoilers for CoE and Ocs

Thoughts are in italic.

**Chapter 1**

Jack Harkness reluctantly stepped out of the TARDIS doors and onto the surface of planet earth.

It had been 200 years since he had last been here, 200 years for him at least.

On Earth it had been 30. The Doctor had made sure of that, setting the coordinates carefully and checking once they had landed, most uncharacteristcally of him.

Jack glanced behind him to see the Doctor nod and he steeled himself th walk a few miles to the watertower which had been rebuilt.

As he built up his nerve and mentally checked what he was going to say to Gwen, a black SUV rolled up towards him, TORCHWOOD on it's side.

Jack then did something that he was sure no one would ever let him live down if they could see him.

"What!" he exclaimed, then he winced. He'd been around the Doctor too long.

Two men jumped out of the SUV, and pointed guns at him.

"Hands up," the taller of the two said carefully "Don't make me shoot you."

Jack noted that he had a soft welsh accent, and looked familiar.

He quickly shut that line of thought off and put his hands up.

_No sense in getting in getting killed on my first day back on Earth._

He glanced behind him and saw the Doctor wasn't there.

_Not really surprising, _he mused, _He was always doing that, running away from me._

He was jerked out of his thoughts as his hands were pulled down and handcuffs were snapped around his wrists and he was marched towards the SUV.

_The Doctor thought I needed closure. Well I'm being driven right towards it._

**AN:** I was unhappy with the end of season 3 so I decided to write a sort os sequel to it, and

Maybe the start of a new series.

Review please!!


	2. Chapter 2

**Author** : Nemainofthewater

**Title** : The Return

**Disclaimer** : I don't own anything you recognise.

**Warning**: Spoilers for CoE and Ocs

Thoughts are in italic.

**Chapter 2**

Ianto Williams, current leader of Torchwood 3 was having a bad day.

First he had woken up to realise that it was his birthday, his thirtieth birthday.

Normally a birthday would be a happy day, but the fact that he had left his twenties behind shocked him.

Next it had been his turn for weevil duty which he hadn't been excluded from, even though it was his birthday.

Thirdly there had been a huge Rift spike and he and Owen, his brother, had driven out to find a man in a World War II coat who he felt he ought to know.

Presently he was sitting in front of the monitor for the cells, watching the man look around him in disbelief and, amazingly, recognition.

Ianto looked around at his brother and his sisters, who nodded slightly, and went down to the cells.

The prisonner looked up as he entered.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Torchwood." Ianto replied, or at least tried to reply.

The prisonner had cut him off as soon as the word was out of his mouth.

"No. No." He said impatiently, "I mean your real name."

"Don't you think I should be asking you that?"

"Fine. Harkness. Captain Jack Harkness."

"Harkness? That's impossible. He disappeared 30 years ago."

Disbelief was evident on Ianto's face as he started to back away.

"How do you know about that?" the prisonner demanded.

"Ianto. Ianto Williams," Ianto shot back as he practically ran out of the cells.

He fumbled with his mobile phone and quickly punched a number in.

"Mum? Get down here. You need to see this."

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jack stared at the back of the man as he fled from the cells.

"Ianto?" he asked uncertainly, even though the man couldn't possibly hear him.

"Ianto?" he asked again, guilt coating his words.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Next to the monitor Owen Williams stared at his siblings in disbelief and surprise.

Jack Harkness, former leader of Torchwood 3 was back?!

His sister Toshiko stared back, and he saw his own expression mirrored in her gaze.

Martha, the youngest of the siblings, looked between them and then stared intensly at the monitor as if seeking a fault that would prove that this man was not Jack Harkness.

One word echoed in each of the sibling's minds.

_Impossible._

Owen snapped out of it first.

"We have to call Mum." he said resoutly.

"Don't bother, I've already done it."

Standing in the doorway was Ianto, disbelief and confusion clear on his face.

"Could he be Jack?"

Toshiko spoke first, voicing the thought that was in everyone's minds.

"I don't know," Ianto said simply, "He could be. The Goverment took all the photo's of him when they broke into Mum's house. I just don't know."

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Many thanks to xLaramiex and sharon for reviewing chapter 1.

Please Review!


	3. Chapter 3

**Author** : Nemainofthewater

**Title** : The Return

**Disclaimer** : I don't own anything you recognise.

**Warning**: Spoilers for CoE and Ocs

Thoughts are in italic.

**Chapter**** 3**

Gwen Williams dove into her car and started to drive quickly to the new Hub.

Ianto had called her and had asked for her to come down.

Since she had retired 2 years ago she hadn't been to the Hub unless there was an emergency.

But then Ianto had never seemed so shaken as when he had called her.

Pulling up outside the tourist office, she ran inside urgently to see her four children standing around the monitor foe the cells.

They turned around as she entered, they're faces serious.

Gwen spotted Ianto in the middle of them.

"Ianto, what is it?"

"We need you to identify some one, mum."

"Is that all?" Gwen asked, relieved that her fears hadn't been justified.

She walked down to the cells, calmer now, catching her breathe slightly.

At 59 she was still fit but could no longer run after weevils all day.

Before opening the door, Ianto hesitated slightly then opened it.

Sitting in one of the cells was...

"Jack!" Gwen gasped.

Jack raaised his head slightly to look at the woman in front of his cell.

She was in the later years of her life, but her eyes...

"Gwen?"

"Why are you here Jack? You ran away. You said you wouldn't come back. So why are you here?"

"The Doctor. I met him a year ago, he told me I should come back . He practically shoved me out of the TARDIS."

Gwen turned to Ianto who was listening silently.

"Open the cell," she said to him calmly.

Ianto did it before he could even register what she had said.

The door swung open and Gwen turned back to Jack.

"Get out Jack."

He hesitated, not sure whether he should.

"Get out Jack!" Gwen said more forcibly, "Please." she added in a near whisper.

Jack stood up and started to walk out, Ianto and Gwen following him.

As he entered the main part of the Hub, he saw three sets of eyes looking at him curiously.

Owen, Toshiko and Martha had all of the exchange and now they knew he was the real Jack Harkness they wanted to question him about their namesakes.

Only the warning glance that Ianto gave them and the fact that their Motherhad been upset by him stopped them from pestering him with their questions.

Jack stopped by the cog wheel that would tack him back to the outside.

He looked at Gwen who motioned at him to keep going.

"Before I go," Jack said, his voice steady, "I'm sorry I left. I'm sorry I ran away. I should have faced it. But let me help now. I know about aliens. I can help you to save lives."

There was a silence where nobody dared to speak then...

"Mum, we need him." Toshiko said in a small voice, "The only expert we have on aliens and alien artifacts is you and you don't know all of them. So let him stay."

Martha frowned at Toshiko.

While it was true they didn't have a complete knowledge of every alien or artifact that had come to Earth, it wasn't as bad as Toshiko made it sound. However she kept quiet as she also wanted to know more about Jack.

Gwen looked around at her children's hopeful faces.

"Fine." She said eventually.

She turned around to face Jack.

"If I come back and you've hurt one of my children I will hunt you down and find a way to kill you permanently." Gwen threatened.

"Understood." Jack replied.

Gwen smiled at her children and walked out.

In the ensuing silence Jack looked at his new teamates.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for your reviews xLaramiex, GwackObsession, ThatsAProblem and Aqua-lily6.

xLaramiex: No, Martha is not dead, but she won't be in this story (I think).

And thank you to everyone who added my story to Story Alert.

Review please!


	4. Chapter 4

**Author** : Nemainofthewater

**Title** : The Return

**Disclaimer** : I don't own anything you recognise.

**Warning**: Spoilers for CoE and Ocs

Thoughts are in italic.

**Chapter 4**

It was Ianto who broke the ensuing silence.

"Well I guess I should introduce you.

This is my sister Toshiko; she's 26 and is the team medic.

This is my brother Owen; he's 29 and is second in command. Finally this is my sister Martha; she's 23 and she works with the computers.

And I'm Ianto, 30 and leader of Torchwood 3. Do you have any questions?"

"Yes just one." Jack paused, a bit ill at ease, but continued none the less.

"How did Torchwood restart?"

"A year after you vanished," Ianto stopped as Jack winced, but then continued once he saw Jack was alright.

"The Government needed someone to monitor the Rift, so my Mum, Lois and Rhys restarted Torchwood.

It went well and once I had finished school I joined them.

But then, 5 years ago, Rhys got killed in a weevil attack. Mum wasn't the same after.

By then Owen and Toshiko had joined us although Toshiko was still in medical school.

Three years after that Lois died, trying to stop the Ood from invading.

We sent them through the Rift, but Mum retired. She said she couldn't take it anymore..." Ianto trailed off.

Martha Owen and Toshiko had gone off to give Ianto and Jack a bit of privacy.

Jack looked uncomfortable so Ianto added "Martha Milligan isn't dead.

She works with UNIT so we don't see much of her though."

Jack nodded, seemingly comforted by the news.

Ianto stood up.

"Well," he said "Since you're going to work here, would you work with Martha to fill in the gaps in our knowledge?"

Ianto started to walk away, then stop as a thought struck him.

"You can stay at the Hub if you like. We have a spare room here in case we ever need to monitor the Rift overnight."

Jack nodded his thanks and started off to the computers.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hours later, Jack stood in the practically bare room, furnished only with a bed and a chest of draws. He was back at Torchwood.

If he closed his eyes he could almost hear Ianto asking him whether he wanted a cup of coffee.

He opened his eyes quickly as a wall if guilt rose up inside him.

What was is Gwen had said?

You can't run away.

_She was right_ he realised.

He had run around the Galaxy for 200 years, trying to escape the guilt.

It hadn't worked.

It had been at least 100 years before he could sleep without the memories overwhelming him.

Even now he couldn't stop going over the terrible five days in his mind, thinking of ways he could have changed it.

He could have insisted Ianto stay behind. He _should_ have insisted Ianto stay behind.

He jerked his mind back from the past.

It wasn't doing him any good. It had happened 200 years ago, at least for him.

He needed to concentrate on the future, needed to protect Gwen's children.

Maybe it would make some of the guilt go away.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________-

Please don't be mad at me for killing Rhys and Lois off!

Thanks to xLaramiex, Aqua-lily6 and labellie.

xLaramiex: An OC is an original character.

Thank you to everyone who added my story to Story Alert or Favourites and as always, Review Please!!


	5. Chapter 5

**Author** : Nemainofthewater

**Title** : The Return

**Disclaimer** : I don't own anything you recognise.

**Warning**: Spoilers for CoE and Ocs

Thoughts are in italic.

**Chapter 5**

One week. It had been one week since he returned to Torchwood.

During that week there had been no alien invasions, even the weevils had gone quiet.

That had thrilled the rest of the team, but to Jack it signified something was wrong.

If the weevils were quiet it meant something was scaring them.

He stared at the Watertower, thinking.

Even if there was something big coming there was nothing he could do about it without knowing what it was.

Not to say he hadn't tried. He had upgraded all the defences in the Hub including reinstalling the timelock Tosh had perfected before she had died.

He returned to the Hub and sat down in his room.

"I swear that when the they come, I'll be ready." He whispered to anyone who might be listening.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Late that night Jack sat up with a start.

A telephone was ringing.

He padded upstairs, half asleep and answered the infernal thing.

"Torchwood." He said groggily.

"This is the Home Secretary's office. We need a team over here immediately."

Jack was fully awake now.

"I'm afraid it'll take a while. Most of the team's at home."

"This is an emergency. Is there anyone available?"

Jack hesitated. He was available of course, but was he ready to announce his presence on Earth again?

Yes he was. He wouldn't run away again.

"Yes. I can be around momentarily."

"Good."

With that the phone disconnected.

Jack started to get dressed immediately.

He ran out of the door and practically jumped into the SUV.

5 minutes later he was parked outside the office.

Striding in, he bypassed security with a wave of his ID and an uttered "Torchwood".

He was escorted into the Home Secretary's office.

He once again flashed his ID at the Home Secretary.

"Torchwood. I believe you had an emergency?"

Robert Davies, Home Secretary looked up and motioned for him to sit down.

"So, the infamous Jack Harkness has finally emerged from the Hub." He remarked drily.

Jack stared at him.

He looked about 40 at the most. How would he know about him?

"American accent, Army surplus, no respect for the Government. A remarkably accurate description. Do you think someone is employed at Torchwood without us knowing?"

"Then the emergency was made up?"

"No, unfortunately that is all too real. Here."

He handed Jack a sheaf of papers.

They held a few satellite photos of a spaceship and a message.

"We need you to translate that," Davies said, "And then neutralise the threat if there is one."

Jack nodded. He took the papers and exited the office.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Back at the Hub, Jack pored over the message.

It looked familiar.

The computer beeped beside him.

He glanced at it, pressed a button and the page began to print.

As Jack looked at the pictures again, he suddenly realised where he had seen it before.

It was a Judoon ship.

_But why would they be here?_

With a final beep the page stopped printing.

It was a message from the Shadow Proclamation. The intergalactic police.

With an appearance not unlike that of a rhino, they were likely to slaughter whole planets to find a criminal.

And they were looking for the Doctor.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

When Owen and Ianto arrived early the next day, they found Jack face down in the briefing room with paper and photos scattered around him, fast asleep.

Ianto picked up a piece of paper Jack had in his hand and glanced at it.

He froze looking at the page in horror.

They had 30 days to save the Earth. Again.

__________________________________________________

Many thanks to realtanna, xLaramiex, madminstral, JazziePerson and Aqua-Lily6 for reviewing.

Also thank you to everyone who has added my story to Stor Alert or favourites.

Review please!


	6. Chapter 6

**Author** : Nemainofthewater

**Title** : The Return

**Disclaimer** : I don't own anything you recognise.

**Warning**: Spoilers for CoE and Ocs

Thoughts are in italic.

**Chapter**** 6**

« We have a problem, » Ianto stated to Toshiko and Martha who had just arrived.

Owen and Jack were by the computers trying to figure out what to say to the Judoon that would not cause the destruction of Earth.

"Last night a message was transmitted to Earth and passed on to us by the Home Secretary.

The Judoon have pinpointed the Doctor's location to Earth, and if we don't send him to them they'll blow up the Earth.

Martha looked decidedly unimpressed.

Some alien or other threatens to destroy the Earth nearly every month, if not more, and we've always stopped them. What makes these aliens different?"

"Firstly, they're called the Judoon. What makes them different is that they're the intergalactic police. The aliens we've had before have nearly always been rogues, and a few of them have almost managed to wipe out the Earth. Imagine what it would be like if they had been backed by the Government."

Martha thought.

Toshiko thought.

"What do you need us to do?" asked Toshiko.

"Martha, I need you to find or build a translator. If need be, work with Jack. Toshiko, I need you to phone the Government and inform them about the threat. Ask them to conduct a nationwide search for the Doctor. Tell them to call us if he's found." Ianto instructed.

Toshiko rushed off to the phone, and Martha walked over to Jack.

He looked over at her, delighted to have an excuse to stop working on the response.

"Jack?"

"Yes Martha?"

"Would you show me the computer program that you used to translate the Judoon's message? I need to program a translator."

"Of course I'll help." He said, looking a bit too delighted.

"Owen, do you mind?"

Owen waved him off and started gathering the numerous papers littering the table.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Miles away in downtown Cardiff a blue police box was sandwiched between two bins.

In this police box, which was bigger on the inside, a man in a brown pinstriped suit was rushed around like a maniac.

This man, or to be accurate Time Lord, was the Doctor.

He was currently trying to depart from Earth, but his TARDIS wouldn't move.

He frowned. He was sure he had just seen something move on the screen that showed him the outside world.

_What was that?_

He stepped outside, and then sighed in exasperation as humans pointed guns at him again.

In fact, he'd had them pointed at him so many times it had practically become the equivalent to 'Welcome to Earth'.

One of the men stepped forwards and opened his mouth.

"Yes, yes. I've got to come with you," the Doctor cut in before the man could speak.

The man looked slightly surprised, but nodded none the less.

The Doctor sighed. Whenever he cane to Earth there was some kind of trouble.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ianto scribbled furiously pausing every so often to squint at something, and then resume writing.

Next to him the telephone rang.

He picked it up.

"Torchwood. Oh, hello sir." Suddenly he sat up straight.

"You've found him? No, don't bring him around, we'll collect him. Home Secretary's Office. 5 minutes. Good bye sir."

Ianto put the phone down.

"Owen! Jack! Come over here please!" he called.

Owen started over from where he had been checking satellite feeds, and Jack from where he was working on the translator with Martha.

"We need to go to the Home Secretary's office. They've found the Doctor. "

Two sets of eyes widened.

"I want you two to come with me. Jack, you said you know the Doctor?"

Jack nodded.

"Good. I need you to brief him while I talk to Mr. Davies."

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

At the Home Secretary's office, the Doctor sat in a plain room with nothing but a chair in it.

His sonic screwdriver had been confiscated, and he wasn't quite sure where the TARDIS was.

He leaned back in his chair.

He'd gotten out of worse situations than this and would certainly get into more dangerous ones.

The door to the room opened.

The Doctor kept his gaze on the far wall.

"Doctor?"

The Doctor's head snapped around so quickly that Jack couldn't help but give a slight wince at the crack.

"Jack? What are you doing here? I thought you were with Torchwood."

Jack looked surprised.

"How do you know that? Never mind. I am with Torchwood. And you're coming with us."

"Us?"

"Ianto and Owen are here as well."

The Doctor groaned.

"Ianto? Owen?"

"They're Gwen's kids. They're talking with the Home Secretary right now."

Jack looked away and started to talk animatedly to one of the guards.

The Doctor stood up and followed Jack, pausing as he was handed his sonic screwdriver to check that no one had messed with it.

"Don't worry about the TARDIS. She's being taken to the Hub right now."

"Why do you need me? Why," he gestured with his hand "This?"

"We're being threatened by aliens."

"The Doctor groaned.

"Again? But still, why do you need me?"

"Because Doctor, they're asking for you."

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you to xLaramiex, Aqua-lily6, labellie and Jemm.

Also thank you everyone who added my story to Story Alert or Favorites.

From now on this fic will have the Doctor in it.

Review Please!


	7. Chapter 7

**Author** : Nemainofthewater

**Title** : The Return

**Disclaimer** : I don't own anything you recognise.

**Warning**: Spoilers for CoE and Ocs

Thoughts are in italic.

**Chapter 7**

Toshiko looked at the man who was running around the Archives.

_How can he do that_, she thought, slightly dazed.

Not only was he running around, he was talking at 100 miles an hour in techno babble.

She looked over to Martha, who was working nearby, and who appeared to understand him.

The Doctor finished the very long speech, of which she had only understood the **ands.**

"English please."

"Oh. Sorry. Sometimes my tongue gets carried away and I start to babble about things, bit of a fault this body has, that and not being ginger…"

"Doctor?"

"Sorry again! Basically my TARDIS forms a telepathic link to your mind. Instant translator."

"So what you're saying is that we can understand the Judoon?"

"Exactly! And they can understand us."

"Then why are you running around the Archives?" Toshiko couldn't stop the words from coming out of her mouth.

Luckily the Doctor didn't appear they think they were rude.

"I'm trying to find something that will neutralize whatever the Judoon are planning to blow the Earth up with."

"But isn't that impossible? You'd have to come up with all the ways the Judoon could destroy it and come up with a counter for every one!"

"Oh yes, fantastic!"

Toshiko looked over to where the Doctor was poring over some kind of alien device that they had never understood the meaning of.

"Oh yes, we can use that!"

He wasn't even listening to her!

Toshiko walked up the stairs which would bring her to the main part of the Hub.

She found Martha, who had also slipped out, Owen, Ianto and Jack discussing strategies.

"We can't just hand them the Doctor!" Jack was saying in a loud voice.

"I'm not saying that we're going to! If you would listen to the whole plan you'd realize that!"

"Fine! Then what is your plan!"

"I say we pretend to give him over, go with him as ambassadors, and then get the Doctor to drive them away." Owen replied, putting a slight emphasis on the word pretend.

"And how's he going to do that?" Jack retorted.

"That's enough Jack. This is the best plan we've got. I'm sure we'll be able to work something out." Said Ianto.

"Fine, but I don't want you to go. I can't die, but you can." Jack said.

"We're coming!" Martha said fiercely.

Ianto looked over at her, and she fell silent again.

"Jack, we're Torchwood. It's our job to face alien threats. Ypu might have a point though. Martha, Owen. You two should stay here. Jack and I will go up with the Doctor."

"No! We're a team. We should go up together or not…"

Ianto cut Owen off mid sentence.

"You need to stay here Owen. You're second in command. If anything happens to me, you're in charge."

He turned to face Martha.

"I need you to stay here and monitor the satellites. If anything bad happens I want you to alert UNIT."

"But…"

"End of discussion. I promised Mum I'd take care of you!"

"Hold on." Said Toshiko.

"Why are the Judoon even chasing the Doctor?"

At that moment the Doctor came up the stairs.

"Ianto? You seem to have some parts missing from…" he trailed off, seeing everyone staring at him.

"Doctor," asked Jack slowly, "why are the Judoon chasing you?"

The Doctor frowned.

"Well, maybe it's something I've done in my future?"

He said, but in a way that suggested he didn't really believe that.

"Well, why else would they want you? You haven't picked a stowaway up in your Time Machine, have you?" asked Martha.

"TARDIS, and no, she would have told me.

"What about the Rift?" asked Jack. "Have there been any Rift spikes recently?"

"No," replied Ianto. "The last big Rift spike was a week ago, the day you came through."

"But I didn't come through the Rift. I came in the TARDIS, and that doesn't make the Rift flux. "

"So that's when it must have come through." Said Toshiko.

"But what is it?" asked Owen. "And why do the Judoon want it?"

"Well has there been anything strange going on?" asked the Doctor.

"The weevils have been quiet, and I guess a lot of corn has gone missing." said Toshiko. "And what was it you said Doctor? There was something missing from the Archives?"

"Archives? Oh the Archives! Yes, your inventory list doesn't correspond with the actual number of items. You seem to be missing a few."

Ianto shook his head.

"We can't be. I took inventory last month. It shouldn't be incorrect. Unless…"

"The aliens hiding here at the Hub, and has been stealing equipment." Owen finished.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sueni, the Commander of Section 3 of the Shadow Proclamation, stared at the screen.

It detailed a meeting, where a representative of the Earth would negotiate with them.

Sueni was a good commander.

He was sent to find the convict. He would not fail.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jack Harkness checked his watch.

3 minutes until the meeting.

He had finally persuaded Ianto to stay behind to find whatever was hiding at the Hub.

2 minutes.

He had given the Doctor his vortex Manipulator, and he would use it to teleport the alien and himself to the Judoon ship as soon as he found it.

1 minute.

Jack stood up and started to scan the sky.

30 seconds.

Where were they?

20

Had they decided not to come?

10

A beam of light shot down and hit Jack.

9

He started to ascend.

8

He was 30 meters above the ground.

7

60 meters.

6

He started to speed up.

5

He was halfway to the ship now.

4

It was coming closer and closer.

3

He started to materialize in an oxygen filled chamber.

2

He was fully solid now.

1

He turned around. Behind him was a Judoon.

From the insignias on his uniform, he was clearly the commander.

"I'm Captain Jack Harkness, and I'm here to negotiate.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In the Hub, Torchwood plus the Doctor were searching for the alien.

So far, all they had found was a month old sandwich that Owen had hastily pocketed.

The Doctor and Martha had taken to poring over the inventory list, trying to figure out what could be made with the missing pieces, while Ianto monitored the meeting between Jack and Sueni, and Owen and Tosh looked around the Archives again.

"It could make a hair-dryer, a T.V remote, a communications device, an animated golf ball…"

"Hold on." Cut in Martha.

She looked at the Doctor.

"Did you say a communications device?"

"Yes! Fantastic! That's it! That means I'll be able to track the signal back to its source."He fiddled with his sonic screwdriver.

Suddenly a piercing scream rent the air.

"Toshiko!" gasped Marthanas she and the Doctor raced towards the Archives, followed quickly by Ianto.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thanks to xLaramiex and agentcherub for reviewing.

Also thanks to everyone who added my story to Story Alert or Favorites.

Review please!


	8. Chapter 8

**Author** : Nemainofthewater

**Title** : The Return

**Disclaimer** : I don't own anything you recognise.

**Warning**: Spoilers for CoE and Ocs

Thoughts are in italic.

**Chapter 8**

The Judoon commander smiled at Jack.

"_Either a smile or a grimace." _Mused Jack, _"His face looks as if it's unused to either." _

It would make sense.

Judoon learned to school their emotions while they were still in the cradle.

He was jerked out of his reverie by the Judoon commander, who had begun to speak.

"I am Sueni, commander of section 3 of the Shadow Proclamation. Greetings to you _Captain."_

"Commander."

Jack inclined his head.

"Do you know where the Doctor is?"

"Why do you want him?" asked Jack, neatly sidestepping the question.

"A convict assassinated the princess of Sol 3. He was arrested, but he escaped, aided by the Doctor."

"How do you know the Doctor helped him to escape?"

"We implant a chip in all our prisoners as soon as we make an arrest. We traced this chip here; it appeared at the exact same moment as the Doctor's TARDIS."

"Well I'm afraid we haven't found him," Jack lied smoothly.

"How unfortunate." said Sueni.

"What species is the convict?" asked Jack.

"He is Slitch."

"Slitch?" asked Jack, "you sure?"

"I am. But who are you to have known this name?"

"No one," replied Jack hastily. "I should go now and tell the world leaders about your…proposal."

"No."

"No?"Jack repeated incredulously.

Jack began to experience a sinking feeling, that wasn't good.

After 200+ years of travelling with the Doctor, he had very good instincts for trouble.

"What do you mean? I'm a resident of Earth and an ambassador, I get diplomatic rights." Jack replied carefully.

"But you don't. You are not a resident of Earth. You are a conman and a liar."

"I don't know what you mean."

"I think you do Jack Harkness. And that is why you will be staying with us until the Doctor and the convict are caught."

Sueni was taken off guard when Jack smiled.

"I'm sorry, but I'll have to take a rain check on that," he said before pressing a pendant underneath his shirt and disappearing.

The last thing he saw was guards hurrying towards him, and then he was in the Hub, which was puzzlingly deserted.

He glanced at the monitor. It was still filming.

He walked over and saved the video, and took out the uncomfortable lenses.

"Where is everyone?" he asked, his voice echoing.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Toshiko shrank back against the tunnel wall, praying that it didn't see her or Owen.

It was huge; it's tail as thick as her torso, its claws bigger than her head.

At her side Owen swore quietly.

"It's a bloody cockroach!" he hissed.

"Sssh!" Toshiko hissed back, hoping that it hadn't heard him.

They had been checking the corners of the Archives, when Toshiko had fallen into an unseen hole.

Owen had quickly dived after her.

When Owen had landed next to her she had screamed, then shut her mouth quickly.

She didn't want to attract the attention of whatever could be in this hole.

They had crept into the tunnel, and found a circular chamber, that looked as if someone or something had been living in it.

With a half made machine in the corner, it was obvious that this was the creature's lair.

They had been looking at the machine when it had come back.

Owen and Toshiko had sprinted back into the tunnel again, and were now looking at it, trying to find a way out without alerting it to their presence.

Suddenly, the giant cockroach turned and launched itself at them.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Doctor, Martha and Ianto searched the Archives frantically.

Where were they?

"I've found something!" Ianto called out suddenly, and they rushed forwards.

It was a hole, so huge that it was a miracle that they hadn't seen it before.

"Perception filter," said the Doctor, looking fairly surprised, "Pretty weak one, but enough that we wouldn't see it unless we were actively looking for it." He continued, answering the unspoken question Martha's face.

"How deep do you think it is?" asked Martha.

"Dunno, depends on what's in there. Hopefully though, whatever it is isn't in there now." The Doctor replied.

The Doctor turned around just in time to catch Ianto before he jumped into the hole.

"What are you doing?" demanded the Doctor. "You don't know what's down there!"

"Haven't you already done something like this?" asked Ianto.

"Well, honestly, yeah." The Doctor replied, looking sheepish, "But Jack would kill me if anything happened to you."

"Then he'll understand why I need to do this."

Ianto rushed past the Doctor, taking him by surprise, and dropped into the hole.

Martha followed, only to be caught by the Doctor, who had no intention of letting her go down.

"Martha, you stay here. We need someone to watch the monitor and to explain to Jack where we are."

"Too late."

Jack was standing behind them, so close that it was a wonder that they hadn't seen him before.

"Martha? You stay here. I've got the lenses, you can track my progress from the computer.

Without leaving them any time to protest, he jumped into the hole.

The Doctor said something that would make even the most seasoned sailors blush.

Martha just stared at him. Luckily the TARDIS translate for her.

"Right, Martha. Stay here, and whatever you do, don't follow us." The Doctor commanded, before he too jumped into the hole.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Thanks to xLaramiex for reviewing.

Also thanks to everyone who added my story to Story Alert or Favorites.

The next chapter will probably be the last one, but I'm a bit stuck at the end, so don't expect it to up too soon.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author** : Nemainofthewater

**Title** : The Return

**Disclaimer** : I don't own anything you recognise.

**Warning**: Spoilers for CoE and Ocs

**Chapter Nine**

Toshiko and Owen fell backwards, as the giant cockroach launched itself towards them, its maw wide open.

The siblings frantically looked around for something to defend themselves with, but there was nothing, the machine and its components were in the alien's lair and the tunnel was a dead end; the only way out that didn't take them past the alien was a hole 20 feet above them.

They slowly backed away, and it followed. Finally, they were backed against the tunnel wall, rock digging into their backs.

The Williams' had never been a very religious family, but Toshiko found herself praying that something would fall from the sky to save them.

Then their brother fell on the cockroach.

For a moment all four of them froze. What were the odds of that happening?

Then Tosh broke the spell by rushing over to check that Ianto hadn't broken anything. Ianto groaned slightly and stood up, ignoring the protests of his sister.

"Not one of my better ideas," he muttered, gingerly testing his leg. He then looked up at the alien and, in his very best 'leader of Torchwood' voice spoke to it.

"Step away from them. Now."

Very surprised, the alien actually did as it was told for a few seconds, then shook itself slightly and roared, only to have the Doctor and Jack fall on it.

Jack groaned, and pushed the Doctor off his back as he had broken the Doctor's fall. He stood up and popped his back, earning sympathetic winces from the rest of the group.

Jack leveled a huge gun, that he secreted somewhere, at the Slitch.

"Don't worry, the cavalry's here," he drawled, winking at Toshiko and Owen. Owen blushed and Toshiko just stared at him, confused. They had obviously never seen him in one of his good moods.

Beside him, the Doctor rolled his eyes. Jack was definitely feeling better.

"Nice of you to finally arrive. Where's Martha?" Ianto asked testily.

"Don't worry, she's fine. In fact, she's watching us right now." The Doctor reassured him.

"Excuse me Doctor but are you forgetting the ALIEN IN FRONT OF US!" Toshiko shouted.

The Doctor turned towards it with a slightly guilty look on his face.

"Yeah, O.K, sorry" he muttered, then started to bound up to it.

He stopped short as the alien once again roared at him.

"Doctor, the plan," Jack reminded him.

"The plan? Oh, right, the plan!"

With that encouraging statement, The Doctor started to rummage in his pockets.

He must have been rummaging in them for at least five minutes, the amount of objects on the floor growing, as Torchwood, save Jack and the alien stared incredulously at him.

Finally, he let out a triumphant cry, and pulled out Jack's Vortex Manipulator.

He triumphantly pressed a button on it and threw it to the alien, who was definitely a few sandwiches short of a picnic as it actually caught it.

And then promptly disappeared.

"Martha! Throw down the rope!" the Doctor called up.

A long rope appeared, courtesy of Martha who had been watching their somewhat anticlimactic encounter with the alien on the monitor.

"All right then, everyone grab on!" he yelled at them, and once everyone had obeyed him, pointed his sonic screwdriver at the rope.

Everyone apart from the Doctor and Jack, who knew his friend very well by now, stumbled as the rope started to move upwards on its own, and then grabbed hold of it tightly.

* * *

_And so, after having the prisoner transported straight to the ship the Judoon left. Immediately. However, they had left a message blazed in the stars, a promise and a warning for the Doctor. _

_**We will meet again.**_

"Well Jack are you coming with me?"

The Williams siblings stood outside in the Plaza with Jack, as the Doctor got ready to leave.

"No I don't think so." Jack replied, "Gwen's kids need me here. Without you around there shouldn't be any world ending apocalypses for at least a week! But seriously Doctor, promise me that you'll find someone to be with you. Trust me on this; eternity is too long to spend alone."

"Doctor, it's been a pleasure meeting you. I hope that next time we see each other, there won't be any alien threats." Ianto shook his hand, and then stepped back with his siblings.

"Aw, you don't mean that! Alien threats? That was a piece of cake! 'Sides, where would the excitement be in life without a few aliens?"

_And as the Doctor waved goodbye to Jack and the Torchwood team, on the other side of the galaxy, on a Judoon prison, an ominous four beats sounded over and over… they didn't know that their doom was approaching. _

The End

**Big thanks to Gwencooperfan08 for reviewing the last chapter and a special thanks to xLaramiex who has reviewed every chapter since the beginning of the story.**

**Also,** **thanks to everyone who added my story to Story Alert or Favorites as well as everyone who read this story and especially those who reviewed.**

**I'm not sure if I'll write a sequel or not, but I'm leaving the ending open just in case.**


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